Well, Mr. Cranky Pants is feeling a bit less cranky thanks to all your compliments. He pretends that he doesn’t like being called “cute”, but he smiles when nobody is looking. Silly little bug!

One final Vegantine’s Day dessert, I dare not call it trifle because it’s missing 99% of a traditional trifle ingredients. Let’s just say it’s a Trifley Layered Dessert! No recipe, you get the idea though, a bottom layer of crushed cookies (plain vanilla or chocolate will do), on top of that a layer of vanilla pudding, then a layer of pureed strawberries, and on top of that a layer of soft coconut milk whippy cream and some swirly chocolate.

Here’s a challenge: try not to eat all of Bianca’sSweet Potato Bread as soon as it comes out of the oven. I dare you! This is one of Bianca’s test recipes for her upcoming cookbook! It’s supposed to be a loaf of bread, but I usually bake muffins instead of one big loaf. Check out Alison’s gorgeous loaf made with the same recipe.

Now it’s Oscars time! I love watching The Academy Awards, and I haven’t missed one show since I was a child. I love it all, the gorgeous dresses, the fashion disasters, the “they-said-what?!” moments during the red carpet interviews, the funny acceptance speeches, and of course the always hilarious opening clips and monologues. So in honor of my favorite awards show, let’s make some Oscars themed food, shall we? Let’s start with a Best Movie nominee: Slumdog Millionaire… or is it… Corn Dog Millionaire!

1- Pour the oil into a frying or saute pan and preheat over medium-low (closer to medium than to low). I like using a saute pan for this because they have a larger bottom. Teehee, a larger bottom! Sorry, back to adulthood.
2- Whisk together all dry ingredients.
3- Whisk together the milk and mustard.
4- Pour the milk and mustard mix into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth, but don’t over-stir.
5- Drop a veggie dog into the cornmeal mix and use a spoon to thickly coat it all around.
6- Transfer the veggie dog to the preheated pan. I use two clean forks to transfer them, and rinse them off and dry them in between dogs. Repeat with all six veggie dogs.
7- Let them cook for about two minutes or until the bottoms look golden brown.
8- Flip them over to another side and cook for another minute or two. The veggie dogs themselves are round, but the batter cooks flat around them creating three sides as you flip them over. So they end up looking like a triangular prism.
9- Flip them over once again to cook the third side for another minute or so.

These are Susan’s Mini Crustless Mini Quiches with spinach instead of bell pepper. I was feeling too lazy to chop peppers and the spinach was already chopped. I cut them all in half and arranged them like a pwettyfwower. Just use button mushrooms and you got yourself an Oscars themed dish.

More Oscar Party/Dinner Food ideas:

I was going to make “Marisa Tomei-to” Polenta Squares, but something went very wrong and it ended up looking like Strawberry Shortcake had relieved her hangover in my saucepan. Anyway, how about Marisa Tomei-to Basil Cream Pasta, Marisa Tomei-to Bruschetta, Marisa Tomei-to Basil and Millet Salad, etc.

Frost/Nixon – I can’t think of anything for this, but it seems like it should be so obvious. Frosted something, frosting something… anyone? I’m stuck!

In case tthese make no sense to you, here is a list of this year’s Oscar nominees.

Now, I wanted to leave you with a video of what I think is the best acceptance speech ever: Emma Thompson’s speech at the Golden Globe awards for Best Screenplay for Sense and Sensibility. It was such a fun speech, she wrote it from Jane Austen’s perspective trying to think of what she would say about the ceremony. However, the video is nowhere to be found. Isn’t everything supposed to be somewhere floating around the Internet? Anyway, here is a transcript instead if you care to let your imagination do the rest. I’ll update this post if the video ever emerges from YouTube. (Found it!)

River, I had no idea you were an Academy Awards fiend like me! Sadly, what I think is the best picture of the year (The Wrestler) wasn’t nominated in that category, but I’ll be rooting for Mickey Rourke to win for his stunning performance. I think the Best Picture category is lackluster at best this year. We’ll see what the big night brings!

Thanks for all the fabulously creative ideas to help celebrate the night!

I LOVE the Oscars, too, and even though I haven seen NOT ONE of the movies this year (sniff!), I am still going to watch. Your food names are fabulous, too (I have to think about that frosted-something)! Can’t wait to see what else you come up with. :)

And THANKS for mentioning my recipe! It was exciting to see it in the mag, and now doubly exciting to see it mentioned on your blog!

i LOVE your ideas! how awesome and creative! those corndogs… oh how i miss corndogs. we once baked some hot dogs into cornbread, but naturally it just wasn’t the same. your recipes look so yummy… makes me feel like i wish i needed to gain some weight, myself, haha… too bad i really need to focus on just staying where i’m at (and possibly drop 5 pounds). still, as a special occasion, i do love to fry. so i might have to invent a holiday soon so i can have corndogs. yeah. that’s a GREAT idea!

River!Fabulous recipes, you are so clever with the parfait, corndogs, baking… it just keeps coming! Don’t worry, I’m a wimp for that (some would say crappy) celebrity stuff too, yes, I did enjoy the oscars but not as much as the golden Globes! (DId you catch that annoying blonde interview woman who was literally alost harrassing the jkolie Pitts? I wanted someone to shut her up! ) ;)

i haven’t had a corn dog in years, River! thank you soooooo much for the recipe! dan & i are totally going to make those – and some of our own trifley layered dessert! yours looks so fabulously awesome & yummers! mmmmmmmm!

You have THE best ideas for food. You know how there’s a show in the food network were the host prepares like little parties and such…you are way better! hahaha…you come up with great ideas and the best part, they’re vegan.

River, your food looks amazing and you have the best ideas! I am completely smitten with your cookie recipe and think I’m going to run out RIGHT NOW to get ingredients for them. And that trifley-dish is beautiful!!

What a cute fun post! I haven’t actually seen any of the movies yet, but your theme foods are so clever and look really really delicious. I’ll peek in at the awards show so I can see how many awards Corn Dog gets.

Ah! Great post! I especially liked the Kate Winslettuce wraps idea. I am totally going to try those Corndog Millionaires! Haven’t had a corndog since going vegan but I have seen Slumdog. How about Frost/Mixin? Perhaps frosting with stuff mixed in to it? If you made cupcakes but before you baked them you put a blob of frosting on the top, would that come out good?

You are so incredibly creative that it just overflows… I am loving the Trifley Layered Dessert — not only is the name super-cute, but it is such a great idea!!!! I wish I could slow down with my food and make it an adorable art project like you seem to do with everything!

Hi! Thanks for the lovely message you left me on my blog. I haven’t had time to respond until now. My iMac crashed and burned! Anyway it’s nice talking with you from different parts of the world (not too far away). Your little crustless quiche looks awesome!

these are such wonderful ideas for oscar food!! haha now i wish i had a party for it! :)those oatmeal cinnamon apple cookies sound amazing as well, i wouldnt have thought to put chocolate chips mixed in…but that sounds like quite a good combo! :)